Contributions of handicapped and disabled workers to World War II industrial production.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Unknown
Sponsor: Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: World War II: Homefront

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - April 27, 2003
Subject: All Out for Victory
Firestone produced this World War II film, in which it shows us all the different kinds of war materials being produced in its plant. It's a fascinating historical document, because it shows the diversity of workers hired for war production. Blind workers unravel the ends of parachute straps, a one-armed man operates a one-handed hole-punching machine, deaf workers work in the noisiest part of the factory, elderly men come out of retirement to offer their well-honed skills, and, of course, women are everywhere. It's also interesting to see the wide variety of war materials Firestone produced and how they produced them. And it's a stirring piece of propaganda, as we are constantly reminded that relatives of these workers who are in the armed services depend in a life-or-death way on the quality of these materials. For instance, one woman's son was saved by a lifebelt that she herself had inspected (it had her inspection stamp on it). This is shown to make the workers extra careful about the quality of their work. One of the better industrial incentive films that was made.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - December 18, 2002
Subject: All Out for Propgandistic purposes!
OVer-patriotic film celebrating (or is it back-slapping?) the workers in the war. Many of the items manufactured in this film is made from rubber (surprise, surprise!) and the workers who make them are sometimes profiled, many of which have relatives in the war (none of which are dead by the way).
The show uses many shameless stereotypes, Old people are said to come back from retirement 'the day after Pearl Harbor, as he wanted to fight the Japs'.
The film goes all out in it's propganda style nature, starting with a WWI Minuteman statue coming to life and narrating (!!) to the effective use of the 'worker' making a stark speech at the end.

Shotlist

"We know that victory is won only through the sweat of workers and the blood of soldiers. Out there, there isn't one unimportant soldier, back here there isn't a single unimportant worker."
Another film about the critical importance of wartime production brought home through stories of individual workers. Refitting of Firestone plants for wartime production. Manufacturing of truck tires, tank tracks, machine gun ammunition, gasoline tanks; anti-aircraft guns; barrage balloons; life vests; Many workers have family members in the military. The point is made many times that these workers have a special reason to work well and efficiently. "Industry started out to make it possible for these physically handicapped people to help themselves not it ends up that these handicapped people are helping their country."


Equipment is shown on the factory floor and then cut to the same equipment in use. Like the tire which appears to roll off the production line on to a truck on the battlefield. Women plant workers; Workers going to plant in great streams. Parachuting flyers. UNUSUAL MATERIAL: Workers with physical disabilities shown in production lines. Blind, deaf, lame and one-armed workers shown. Two workers are shown communicating in sign language. Military inspector fires a machine gun at a airplane gasoline tank. The tank reseals itself, neither exploding or leaking.

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